Calling himself "an innocent victim", Italy's Rocco Buttiglione withdrew as a candidate for the incoming European Commission on Saturday to help ease an unprecedented crisis for the executive.
The next Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, had to pull his 25-member team just before a parliamentary investiture vote on Wednesday to avoid possible defeat because of opposition to Buttiglione.
The Italian, a devout Roman Catholic and close friend of Pope John Paul, became the first nominee ever to be rejected by a parliamentary committee, after he called homosexuality a "sin" and expressed conservative views on marriage.
Without naming names, Barroso made clear on Friday that some countries would need to change their Commission nominees for him to win parliamentary approval. Less than 24 hours later, the bookish Buttiglione fell on his sword.
"I am ready to stand aside to smooth the way for Barroso's Commission, which I wish every success because Europe needs a strong Commission," said Buttiglione, who had been nominated to be the Commission's new justice and security chief.
Buttiglione told a news conference he had fallen foul of a parliamentary ambush and then suffered at the hands of a "superficial and crude" press campaign against him.
His decision to stand aside will come as a relief to Barroso, but it will not solve all the problems, with diplomats saying that some other national nominees might also have to go to appease the restive parliament.
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